Sand-pipe cleaner.



F. MEYER.

SAND PIPE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6.191s.

1,217,327. Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTO R N EY m: NnwRIS PErERS m. Exam-ma. wAsumcruu, uc

FRED MEYER, OF MALAD CITY, IDAHO.

SAND-PIPE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Fgb. 2'2 191*}.

Application filed July 6, 1916. SerialNo. 107,846.-

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, FRED MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Malad City, in the county of Oneida and State of Idaho, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in SandPipe Cleaners, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

This invention relates to sand pipe cleaners, and more particularly tomeans for cleaning the sand pipes of a steam locomotive.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter stated of simple construction and operation which may beeasily applied .to any locomotive of standard construction. A, furtherobject is to provide a device so arranged as to eflectually preventfreezing of the sand pipes. Further objects will appear from thedetailed description.

In the drawings Figurelis a side view of a conventionally formedlocomotive with the invention applied, and v Fig. 2 is a section on line22 of Fig. 1.

The locomotive 1 is provided with the usual sand box 2, steam dome 3,and'drivers 4:. The sand pipes 5 are connected at their upper ends toopposite sides of the sand box and project downwardly and rearwardlywith their lower ends slightly in advance of the forward driver 4. Forsupporting these pipes I provide brackets 6 secured to the main frame ofthe locomotive and secure the pipes to the same. In each sand pipe Imount a gate valve 7, near the upper end thereof. The stem 8 of thisvalve is connected by a link 9 to an arm 10, the inner end of which ispivoted to the lower end of an arm 11. The upper end of arm 11 is keyedon the end of a transverse rock shaft 12 mounted in bearing eyes 13securedin the sand box. Collars 14 are secured on the shaft 12 adjacentthe eyes 13 and prevent longitudinal movement of the same. A pull rod 15is pivotally connected at its forward end to the upper end of an arm 16keyed to rock shaft 12. This pull rod projects into the cab 17 of thelocomotive within easy reach of the engineer. It will be evident that,by operating rod 15, the gate valves 7 may be opened or closed asdesired.

I provide each of the pipes 5, with a downwardly directed angularlydisposed nipple 18 at a point below the valve 7. In

each nipple I secure an end of a branch pipe 19 which is connected toamain pipe 20. This main pipe communicates with the iiiterior of steamdome 3, at the top thereof, and is provided with a valve 21 at its innerend which is operated by a rod 22 projecting into the cab 17 withinreach of the engineer.

In the event of the sand pipe 5 becoming stopped, from freezing, whichoften happens in moist, cold climates, the same may be quickly opened orcleaned by admitting steam through the pipes 19. To clean the pipes '5,the gate valves 7 are first closed, then the rod 22 is operated to openthe valve 21. This admits steam into pipe 20 and from thispipe into thebranch pipes 19. The steam enters the sand pipes below the valves andflows through the same heating them and thawing out any frozen sandwhich may be stuck in the pipes. This quickly cleans the pipes so that,when the valves 7 are again opened, after shutting off the steam, thesand will readily flow from the box 2 on to the rail in front of thedrive wheel. By taking the steam from the top of the dome 3, I insurethat the steam supplied to the pipe 5 will be perfectly dry thusavoiding all danger of dampness such as would tend to cause freezing ofthe pipes. In addition to forming a means for cleaning the pipes, myinvention also provides a means for indicating whether the pipes arestopped or not. By closing the valves 7 and opening the valve 21 thesteam will flow from dome?) through the pipes 5 and out of the lowerends thereof. If no steam comes from the lower ends of the pipes thisindicates that the pipes are stopped and need cleaning. On the otherhand, if the steam flows readily and easily from the pipes it is anindication that the pipes do not need cleaning.

As will be noted, the gate valves 7 are mounted exterior of the sand boxand remote from the same. The nipples 18 are directed downwardly and arebelow the gate valves, being thus spaced a considerable distance fromthe sand box. By this construction, my apparatus is well adapted for usein connection with a sand box of standard construction, no changes inconstruction of the box being necessary. Also, as the dis charge ends ofthe steam pipes are below the gate valves and remote from the sand box,all danger of any water of condensation resulting from the steamdischarge getting into the sand and so as to cause freez sand pipes of alocomotive are stopped or I not, and also for cleaning the pipes if theyare stopped.

I mount the valve 7 and nipple 18' for each sand pipe in a separatesection 5 of pipe which, is connected in the pipe 5 by means of unions 5By this means, if it at any time becomes necessary to remove the lowersection of the pipe, or to remove the valve 7 or nipple 18, this can bereadily and easily accomplished by unscrewing the unions 5*. This is ofspecial importance in the event of the lower portion of the pipe 5becoming bent, or being broken 01f, through contact with someobstruction on the track.

In this case, by loosening the lower union 5 the bent or broken sectionof pipe can be quickly and easily removed and a new section inserted.

What I claim, is:

In track sanding means, the combination of a sand box, sand pipescommunicating with said box, gate valves mounted in each of said pipesexterior of the sand box, and downwardly directed steam pipescommunieating with each of said pipes below said a gate valves andremote from the sand box. In testimony whereof I affix my s1gnature 1npresence of two wltnesses.

FRED MEYER.

Witnesses PAUL O. HALTERMAN, R. M. THO PSON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). G. 7

